Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 357 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent sent by Jeremy, and he writes: Finding time to do the work I want to do. As we approach the end of the semester, my own interests begin to move into the background and I become swamped with work for other people. V: That’s a common struggle, Ausra, right? A: It’s very common. V: Probably one of the most frequently sent in of people’s questions about finding time to do what they love to do. A: True! I still struggle with finding time, especially for practicing the organ, but I remember my study days, and it was a really had time, because usually when we would have academic breaks on Christmas, or on this break at Easter, we would have to work doubly as hard at church, because we always would work at church at that time, so it was really hard. It was, as Jeremy says, that he has to do work for other people, so I guess my advice would be to learn to say, “no!” to others, and it doesn’t sound nice. Yes? I sound like an egoistic, selfish person, but that’s a way to survive! V: It doesn’t sound nice, because he is on our team who transcribes fingering and pedaling! A: Well, yes, but sometimes you have to think what is more important for you right at that moment. And if the work is absolutely overwhelming, you just have to say, “no!” V: Obviously…. A: Well, and it’s not true if you get paid, or if you get something for doing something. That’s a normal thing. But, I’m talking about people who are using other people and giving you nothing back. V: What if they are giving you something, but not enough? A: Well, then negotiate. And if you will not succeed, then just quit! V: I wonder if there was ever a time when we had more things to do than right now, and less time, or vice versa. Which time in your life, Ausra, was the busiest? A: Well, I think that my studies in the US. Yes. And, I remember that the closer to the end I would go with my studies, and sometimes I would get a free half hour, and honestly, I would be so surprised, I would be shocked, actually! I wouldn’t know what to do with that free half hour. V: I think if you are always doing something during your day, this 30 minutes that’s just for you to relax, sit down, or take a break, or take your walk, that would be ideal. Not do something, not do anything, actually! A: And I remember those times, doctoral studies time, when I would go to the gym, usually I would go to swim or to run, or to do both, but not because I wanted it, but I knew that after that I would get more energy, and I could work even more for my studies, or practice, or do something else—write some paper. V: Right. Physical activity obviously gives more energy. A: Well, but yes. It doesn’t mean that you need to exercise in order after that to just exhaust yourself. V: To me, with finding time, there is another problem. I have too many wishes. I have too many interests and curiosities. In a sense, it’s very good, really, but when you have too many things you want to do, then you cannot really focus on several or a few that really matter, and then I have to limit myself, and this is hard. A: Well, yes. V: I could probably list 30 things I’m interested in. And the list is growing! A: Well, you know, I could easily cure this kind of problem of yours! V: In which way? A: Switch jobs with me, and I’m sure after teaching for so many hours, you will have no energy left whatsoever, and you will limit yourself to maybe, I don’t know, 2 or 3 things! V: That’s right. A: Work. Sleep. Eat. V: “Eat, Pray Love.” Do you know this book? A: I heard about it, but I haven’t read it. V: There is a movie, also, and a wonderful book. Three things are really important in life. So talking about Jeremy and others who are struggling with finding time, especially for organ playing, what we can say is just, probably not give advice, but share our experiences, how we are dealing with this. Right Ausra? A: Yes, and like this first semester I was teaching for church organists, teaching harmony class, and also giving some organ lessons. And I just found it overwhelming, because I started to have health issues, and I just said, “that’s it. that’s enough.” And what I really didn’t like about it, I like teaching itself, but what I didn’t like at all was that I could not find time to practice myself, because I was teaching on Saturdays and on Wednesdays, and these are two days when I’m not teaching at the school of art, where I usually teach on Mondays and Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. And then on Wednesdays and Saturdays, I practice myself. So I just had to quit that. And I’m not doing that since the second semester. V: And nothing happens! A: Nothing happens, yes! In stead of that, I will resume my own practicing, because I have recitals coming up. So, I really need to do it. Plus, I enjoy much more playing organ myself. V: Doing things that you love is, in this case, much more beneficial to your long term health and success than doing things that they love from you. A: That’s right. V: They can still find another teacher, I think. A: Good luck with that! It’s not an easy task, knowing what they want! V: And what do they want? A: They want quality! V: Quality? A: Yes. V: In teaching harmony? A: Yes. V: And what do they give you in return for that quality. A: Well, almost nothing. V: Mhm! That’s why they will struggle to find someone with quality. A: True. It’s a very interesting approach, because right now, I’ve been teaching for three months, already, and I haven’t received any money yet! V: Maybe you will see double money! Dividends! A: Ha, yeah, I wish that would be true. V: Well, for me, I also agree with you that I have to say, “no” to many things, and I limit my interests to just a selection of activities that I really enjoy, and I feel myself doing for a long time to come, not for a month or so. For example, creativity is important to me, so that’s why I write, and that’s why I draw. That’s why I improvise. And there are other things that I would like to do, like learning a foreign language, right? But that’s something extra. If I had more free time, yes, that would be nice. But, you have to sacrifice something. A: Well, you already know some foreign languages, so….. V: For example, there are instances that they have to say, “no” even for professional activities. If somebody asks me to accompany a soloist... A soprano just recently from the Internet, they saw me sharing my organ improvisation on line, and said, “very nice,” and this improvisation reminded her of the days when she was a soprano, and she asked me if I wanted to collaborate. So, of course, I said, “no” because I don’t have the time. You know? A: Yes, I think on one hand it’s maybe nice to make music with somebody else, but if you are a keyboardist you will always be just a workhorse for a soloist. V: Exactly. And you have to think, “where does it lead?” If you continue doing this… if it’s just a one time activity, then you don’t even need to bother one time. But if you continue 3, 5, or 10 years, where does it lead if you collaborate with this former soprano…. Former soprano… A: That’s an interesting story. V: It doesn’t lead anywhere. A: Is she now Mezzo-soprano? V: I think she is not a musician today. A: I see. V: So that’s the the trouble with Internet. You post something, and people respond, and you have to be open for their responses, all kinds of responses, and sometimes you have to ignore them. A: True. So I guess the best advice would be to choose wisely what you do with your time. V: Because, otherwise others will choose for you. A: That’s right. V: Thank you guys, this was Vidas, A: And Ausra. V: Please send us more of your questions, we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen. 
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 354 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. And this question was sent sent by Marion, and Marion writes that the goal is mainly learning to play hymns, and the time for practice is the hardest thing. V: Ausra, when you see that people are writing about finding time, what do you think they really mean? A: Well… V: Because it’s a deeper, I think, question than… A: I think it might mean two things. One that they are very busy and it’s hard for them to squeeze organ practice into their schedule, but I think it also might mean, well, laziness, a little bit. V: Why do you say laziness, specifically? Because, I have another theory. A: Well, because I think it’s in the human nature that sometimes we don’t want to do something, and then we find ourselves excuses for not doing that, and usually, the best answer to it is, “I don’t have enough time.” V: Oh, so you mean like running is easier than flying, walking is easier than running, standing is easier than walking, and then sitting is easier than standing, and lying down is easier than sitting! And, we would be lying all day long. A: True! And what is your theory? V: My theory is that when a person says that they can’t find time to do something is that they don’t want it badly enough. As you say, you need to sacrifice something, right? And this sacrifice is not worth the trouble—not worth the result, maybe, for them. For example, why do you keep practicing organ after those 25 plus years? You’re busy, right? You’re teaching etc., but why do you keep finding the time? A: Well, I wish just to say that I have that need in my blood to keep practicing, V: Your DNA A: but it’s not always true! Sometimes I’m just having a recital coming up, and that’s what pushes me to practice. V: Deadlines! A: Yes, deadlines, although I really hate them. I hate this forced motivation, deadline, duty… ooh! V: Your favorite words from American college education! A: Yes. I remember that! It was horrible! Horrible! V: Would you be motivated to keep finding the time without those external deadlines? A: It would be much, much harder, and I don’t know how long I would be able to keep practicing. But anyway, since Marion wrote that she needs to learn to play hymns, obviously she works at church, so she has a goal, and she needs to practice, because if she plays at church, probably she gets paid, and so… V: She didn’t write that she works at church, and maybe we are just speculating. A: Well, but maybe she wants to become a church organist. V: Aha, that could be her priority, then. To become better at playing the organ, and you can’t become better unless you practice everyday. A: Well, and I think everybody in their schedule might find time to do that. You just have to sacrifice something. Maybe you don’t have to watch TV, maybe you don’t have to surf your Internet in your smart phone… V: Like you did when I was posting a blog post, right? A: True! Yes! V: Nice. I do that also, sometimes. A: I think that’s a bad habit that everybody has—almost everybody. V: Except when you did this on your phone, you were not looking on Facebook, you were at least doing something productive—helping people on the Steam blockchain. A: True. V: So, I think it comes don’t to managing your priorities, not managing your time, actually. We all have 24 hours, not more and not less. How we spend our time is up to us. At least, I think so. Sometimes people think that it’s not up to them, that they don’t have the choice. Other people force them to do something. What do you have to say about that? A: That’s true! You might find somebody who will push you real hard to play. V: I mean no, no, no….not play, but exactly the opposite, that your day is filled with activity that other people want from you. And then you don’t have time for yourself. A: Well, but that’s so true for so many people, because you have real responsibilities that you must do. If you have, let’s say, a family, have kids, so you probably have to take care of your kids. V: What about…. A: If you have a job, you have to go to a job and do it! V: What about doing this totally, with neglecting your own needs. Is this, okay? A: Well, it’s not okay, but that’s what happens in so many cases, especially for women. V: And, are there any hacks or shortcuts to this, to go around and maybe not do everything at 100%, top notch quality, but maybe 95%. Would this work? A: Maybe, I don’t know. I think it would be really nice if people who are around us would think about our needs, too, and maybe they could do some things for themselves, and that would save us some free time, and we could practice more. V: That’s a lot to think about, right? A: Let’s say you have a dog, and you have to take a dog for a walk twice a day. So maybe if you do that twice, maybe you could do that once, and somebody in your household could do it another time. So for that time you could practice. V: But what if…. A: It’s just one example. It could be doing dishes, doing laundry, doing whatever domestic… V: I would prefer doing dishes and other errands, because walking the dog is healthy! Movement! A: That’s true. V: I think even twice a day is really good, and it depends on how active a person is. If he or she is already active, then maybe, as you say, once a day would be enough. But for a person who would work in a sitting position all day long, then it’s healthy. And if you sit down on the organ bench, during that time, it’s even more stressful for your body, right? So, it’s a constant struggle, right Ausra, finding courage and motivation to find time—to make time. A: True! And I think that through life, always what suffers first is practice time when you have other needs. V: Do you think, Ausra, that playing organ is a creative activity? A: Of course it is! V: And then, if it is a creative activity, would it make sense to do it first thing in the morning? A: Of course, if you can do that, I think this would be the best thing, to practice in the morning. But… V: And then you can do everything else, right? A: Well, but since, let’s say myself, for example, I start teaching at 8 A.M., I get up at 6 A.M. I cannot imagine myself getting up at 5:00 or even earlier, just in order to practice before my school day….I think I would be dead in half a year after living like that. V: But if you could play the organ from 8 A.M. to 10 A.M. and start teaching at 11… A: It would be ideal, but not in this life time, probably. V: So, we leave our listeners to figure out for themselves what’s the ideal time for them to practice, and how to find motivation, actually, to do this more often. What works for us obviously is to find some external motivation like playing in public once in a while at least, regularly. Then you’re forced to get on the organ bench, because you know that other people will depend on you. And actually, you will be ashamed to play in public without preparation. Right Ausra? A: I hope so! V: But not everybody, right? A: I know! V: There are people who schedule public performances without practicing! A: I have heard so many sloppy performances, and it seems like people have no shame! V: And we have friends like that, actually! A: True. V: I hope they are listening. A: I hope not. V: Okay guys, this was Vidas, A: Ausra, V: And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen. 
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 355 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Tamara and she writes: “Dear Vidas and Ausra: Thank you so much for your instructional emails, conversations about certain issues related to repertoire and organ playing, and support. They have been so extremely helpful in my own work. I've been following/completing each email as best I am able to get the time. I work a part-time organist position, but also 4 additional positions (as pianist/conductor/teacher) in the music industry here in the U.S.! I missed the Black Friday/Cyber Monday discount on Total Organist, which I hope you will offer again around Christmastime! At that point I will take advantage of it. I will be very busy anyway until third week of December, so I will have time to concentrate on organ over the holiday break. I will for now purchase your edition of the Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah, as well as the Karg-Elert Nun danket alle Gott--the latter which I played for our Thanksgiving Service two weeks ago. I will appreciate your take on the fingerings and pedal markings. Sending you both very best wishes! Sincerely, Tamara PS--I also enjoy your cartoons!” A: That’s very nice. V: Tamara is very diligent listener of ours and tries to apply our tips in her practice in her church service work a lot and this is extremely pleasing to know right Ausra? A: Yes, I’m glad she finds it useful. V: For people like that it’s worth doing what we are creating because these people like Tamara can really reap the benefits of their practice and they can help themselves and we’re glad to be part of this. A: And we are glad that somebody like Tamara responds to us back and we know that we are doing a useful job. V: And she says that she didn’t take our offer for Total Organist for Black Friday and Cyber Monday and she hopes to get around it for Christmas time. Will we offer it Ausra? A: Yes, I think we will. V: And Christmas is really not far away. A: Yes, it’s coming really fast. V: So when Tamara will join Total Organist and if other people will join together with her they can practice any course that there is in our repertoire, any material that they wish to download, any program that they find useful. We have music theory courses, harmony courses. We have improvisation right Ausra? What else we have? A: Yes, plenty of to choose. V: Sight reading, hymn playing, pedal playing. Just about any area from organ playing. That’s why we call it Total Organist. A: Yes, plus a lot of pieces with the fingering and pedaling written in. V: Umm-hmm. It’s really helpful. A: You know what I noticed when we were reading Tamara’s letter that she has so many positions as a musician. Do you think it’s hard for a person to have three or four part-time positions or it’s harder to have one full-time position? V: I would think that having one full-time position is easier than five part-time positions because then you can concentrate fully, give 100 percent in your one job. What about you Ausra? A: But maybe it’s nice when you have part-time positions then sort of you never get bored because you have to change surroundings all the time. V: And there are certain advantages, right? If you get kicked out of one position you have four more left. A: Yes, you have four more left or three more left. V: What do we call it? Diversification right? A: That’s right. V: And diversification is the path to financial independence and that’s what people in today’s world are striving for a lot these days because to be dependent on one full-time position is scary these days. You have the job and maybe your priest is transferred to another church and then you can lose it. A: Yes. So I guess it’s sort of nice to be a musician because you have all these options. V: You can be a free-lancer right? You can be substitute organist. You can position yourself as a person who can play services for other churches when there isn’t anybody around. A: And since Tamara also is pianist and conductor and a teacher it gives her broad perspective of things to do and I think it’s very often the case with organists that we play both organ and piano and can conduct choir and can teach too. V: Exactly Ausra. Would you prefer being a full-time or part-time musician in several institutions? A: Well it’s a tricky question. V: Like today I will explain a little bit situation. Like right now you are working at National Children’s School of Music with lots and lots of hours. A: Yes it’s a full-time, more than a full-time. V: How many classes do you teach? A: Twenty-six hours per week. V: Twenty-six and plus all the grading papers and additional… A: Yes, preparation and all that paper work. V: So it’s a full-time. A: Yes. V: It takes probably forty hours of your week easily. A: Definitely. V: And would you rather teach less there and do something else in other fields. A: Well I can’t imagine how I could teach less then I would get less money and even now sometimes it’s hard to survive from teaching full-time and plus I’m also a part-time organist at Vilnius University. V: Umm-hmm. It depends on where you live in the world, how advanced your country is and ... A: How we are valuing teachers let’s say because my country is not obviously. V: Just last week-end we had strike and demonstration of teachers and other unions in the center of Vilnius demanding respect for this profession, bigger salaries, lesser classrooms and what else? In general, more respect. Do you think they will succeed? A: I don’t think so. V: And the same week-end they had strikes and demonstrations in Paris, violence. A: Yes, they were breaking windows and burning cars. V: And our teachers just were protesting with bells in their hand and books and very politely. A: Very intelligently. But nobody listens to you when you are too polite. V: Yeah, you are right. A: But we are northern people, we don’t know how to protest. We had not thrown us off. V: Exactly, we have cold blood. A: I don’t think so, I think we hide our emotions inside. V: Oh, that’s why we have so many psychological illnesses. A: Yes, and so many alcoholics. V: Umm-hmm. A: And also you know… V: Suicide rate is quite high. A: Yes, it’s very high. I believe it’s the highest in the world. V: Umm-hmm. Yeah. Every country has its own advantages and disadvantages and you have to live where you are and make the best of it I guess. A: That’s right. V: Luckily today we live in a global world where we can teach, right? You can teach not only your school but teach globally in 89 countries. A: Yes, that’s a very nice thing. V: And anybody who has any sort of skill they can do similar things today and writing a blog and getting paid for it is so easy today with blog chain technologies. Just five years ago it wasn’t possible at all. You had to do what we’ve been doing, right Ausra? You usually have product or service in addition to your blog selling to people, helping in other ways who would prefer to pay you. But today you could just post your teachings online and the platform itself pays for it. A: I wish more people would take advantage of this and do such a sort of work but for me now seems that so little understands about it. For example we have so many teachers, some are friends you have especially. V: Alex, from our book club. A: And we are all in all teaching languages and most of them work at school or at university but we just don’t understand what we are doing and Vidas tries to explain to them so… V: I was once proposing to get our communication into the telegram group where instant chat and messaging services is much more efficient and flexible and easy to do and user friendly and most of them were stuck with email. A: Yes and Vidas was so persistent and he’s never tired of educating people. He tried so hard to convince them but nobody took advantage of it, almost nobody. V: Anyway you have to always be curious about new developments, about new technologies and how they can help creative people and I can tell you quite surely that there hasn’t been a better time to be a creative person. And we are all creative. It doesn’t matter which field you are in, teacher or musician or artist, we all are creating something from our brain. Ideas. We generate ideas and today is the best time to generate ideas and get paid for them. A: That’s right. V: So for Tamara, maybe for others who are also struggling with part-time positions you could actually look online and take advantage of new technologies, such as Steem, ONO, Whaleshares, Trybe and others and do what you are still doing actually but diversify your income even more than you are doing and actually get paid while you sleep. That would be wonderful right Ausra? A: Umm-hmm. Yeah. V: You got paid while you slept right for your cartoons, A: That’s right, yeah. V: (Laughs.) Pinky and Spiky. Thank you guys for listening. Thank you guys for applying our tips in your practice. If just a few people do what we are experimenting with and leading by example I think this is a good precedent and they can also start developing their own new ideas and create new circles. And remember when you practice… A: Miracles happen. 
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 293 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by Jeremy, and he writes that he struggles with finding practice time. V: Ausra, do you struggle finding practice time this week when you started teaching? A: Of course! But sometimes, I feel sort of strange, because people might think that we are magicians. And they write to us asking about having more time to practice and we will make more time for them to practice. What do you think? Don’t you feel the same way? V: Well, sometimes just a few words of encouragement can go a long way. But, obviously, deep inside people know that real steps have to be taken by themselves if playing is important to them—important enough. Right? A person, not necessarily Jeremy, but anybody could say that organ playing is important on the surface, and they might have a lot of CDs in their collection, even listen to a lot of YouTube videos of their favorite organ music, they could read a lot of organ related books, they could go to organ related concerts, they could buy even an instrument—used instrument or some kind of electronic organ at home to practice. They would invest everything. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean that that person will sit down on the bench. A: But maybe they need all that other activity just to get inspiration! Don’t you think so? Because sometimes listening to a good recording or going to a concert is worth very much. V: Yes, for example, last week we went to a few concerts of an early music festival, which we also played in last week, too, which is called Banchetto Musicale. We know the organizers, and we absolutely love the kind of music they promote, but it would be, I think, counterproductive to just go that week to all the concerts but never touch the organ ourselves. Don’t you think? A: I know, but it’s funny you are talking about last week when we both played that recital in that festival of the early music, and then you went to Liepāja and performed a solo recital—improvised recital—and basically killed that Liepājas organ! V: Yes, shall I talk a little bit about that? A: Yes, you need to tell everybody about it. V: Ok. Liepāja—the city about 70,000 people living there on the Baltic coast, in the southwestern corner of Latvia, about 100 kilometers from the city I grew up in Klaipėda. So basically, it’s a very nice city on the coast, and it has a wonderful Lutheran Cathedral—Holy Trinity Cathedral—which houses sort of the largest mechanical organ in the world, with 131 stops. Even larger than Sydney town hall organ, because Sydney town hall organ has 127 stops and tubular pneumatic action, not mechanical. So, it’s completely in original condition, and it has all those mechanical devices which you would have in mechanical action organs at the time, from 1885. And, this is such a mammoth, magnificent and gigantic organ, that sometimes you are at a loss, where are your stops! It’s a sea of stops—a sea of handles. Various colors notate various divisions, and you have to get used to that. In my case, I’ve been playing there already the third time there last weekend, so it wasn’t a new experience for me, and in order to prepare for that recital, I simply watched my own videos. On that organ, I made a few demonstrations a few years ago, and I refreshed my memory where the divisions are located. But since I improvised everything, and my theme was David and Goliath, the biblical story, I didn’t need to be very strict with my music, because I was improvising on the spot, and choosing the stops on the spot as well. So, what I did is I practiced on the organ one hour, only one hour before the concert in the morning of Saturday, and in the evening, I played this recital. A: But you’d better tell us about your grand finale! V: Grand finale… yes! I thought that my grand finale should be very joyful and solemn, that David must have killed that giant, Goliath, and I planned to finish on Fortissimo sounds, but, to my surprise, the electricity of the motor or the blower went off, and at that time, luckily, I was playing rather softly, with soft registration, and after a few seconds, the organ sounds stopped. So, it might might mean that I killed the Goliath! David killed Goliath! A: So the organ was like Goliath, yes? And you were like David yourself. V: Yes, one of the interpretations could be that way. And, at first, I was so shocked, I didn’t know what to do! I kept pushing and pulling that organ blower stop with hopes that it will come to life again, and I did this while sitting on the bench for several minutes, and this recital was broadcast down to the pews on the big large screen! Two cameras were filming me from both sides, and people obviously were seeing me work with my hands but didn’t know what I’m doing, because there was no sound at the time. So, when I finally gave up, I stood up, and took a bow, and then they finally started clapping. And then I went downstairs to take a bow again, and that was the end. So, then I asked the local organist what happened, and he said that this happens from time to time with this organ, and he needs to call an organ builder. I was relieved to know that I wasn’t the first one to break this organ! It’s basically, maybe, some contacts. Some wiring was not in the right place, in the right order. A: That’s a fascinating story! I hope it will encourage people to practice, and maybe Jeremy might listen to your talk, will squeeze some practice time in his schedule. V: Do you know why I think people could squeeze some practice into their day, at least 15 minutes? In my case, it’s because for the last two weeks, every day of the week before this Liepāja recital, I went to the church to practice my improvisations, and I even broadcast my improvisations on Facebook Live, that I don’t usually do, and this gave me motivation. Like, I knew my concert is coming up, and if I don’t sit down today, I missed one day, and tomorrow my fingers will be weaker, my creative muscle will atrophy a little bit, and in the long run it will affect my playing. So, I kept motivating myself through this public accountability, through deadline approaching to my recital, and also through broadcasting my live organ videos. I’m not saying, Ausra, that Jeremy should necessarily broadcast himself. He can if he wants to, but having a deadline, that really helps. A: Yes. Pushing yourself forward. V: Do you like deadlines, Ausra? A: No, I don’t like them. But sometimes, they are necessary, as taking your medicine. V: Would you practice less or more if you didn’t have public recitals lined up 5 years from now? A: Probably less. V: Me, too. I remember, there was a time after we returned from the United States studies, and in one half year, six months, I didn’t have planned recitals, and I didn’t practice everyday. I even didn’t touch organ keys for weeks or even months, I think. But now it’s obviously different, because I make those public performances to happen, and I make the time to prepare for them. A: Good for you. V: So you will practice a little today Ausra? A: Yes. V: Even though you’re starting to prepare for your Notre Dame recital, right? A: Which will come in 2 years! V: Will you be inviting myself to come along to help you out with packing and carrying your stuff? A: That’s usually actually I help you with YOUR packing! So... V: So, I’ll stay at home, and you go to Paris! A: No! You can carry my bag! V: Bag, yes! Excellent. But that will happen only in the summer of 2020. A: Yes. V: And you will have to play what kind of pieces? A: Well, Bach, Alain, and Franck… V: Bach E♭ major, right? A: Yes. V: Prelude and Fugue. Alain Second Fantasie? A: Yes. V: And what about Franck? A: The second Chorale B minor. V: Wonderful piece. Not too easy. Thank you guys, this was Vidas, A: And Ausra. V: And please remember to practice today. We also will go to the organ bench and play something. Maybe not too much, after those exhausting days last week, but still, we need to sit down at least for a few moments to play something. This is really helpful, because when you practice, A: Miracles happen.
This blog/podcast is supported by Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online. It has hundreds of courses, coaching and practice materials for every area of organ playing, thousands of instructional videos and PDF's. You will NOT find more value anywhere else online...
Total Organist helps you to master any piece, perfect your technique, develop your sight-reading skills, and improvise or compose your own music and much much more... Sign up and begin your training today. And of course, you will get the 1st month free too. You can cancel anytime. Join 80+ other Total Organist students here
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 275 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. And this question was sent by Carsten. Dear Vidas and Ausra, I'm glad to hear from you and I'm happy as well that my donation is so highly appreciated. Please take it as my personal way to say "Thank you!" to both of you for all of your great inspiring and continuous advice, newsletters and videos, which always helped me out when I got stuck on my way to further dive into playing the organ. Apropos getting stuck: My current job of being a software developer was very demanding over the past months -- and still is, with still no time to relax within visible reach. This had a big impact on my schedule, so my hobby of organ playing suffered a lot since I did not feel like sitting down on the bench every day. Of course, I had a bad conscience about this because I remembered all of your articles about time management, being consistent in practice, taking the daily 15 minutes and so on... But in the end, to my very surprise, I was even able to improvise on some symphonic pieces for about 2.5 hours on a big IV+P cathedral organ during public opening hours -- without having played a single note for about four or five weeks before. Sometimes it seems like energy cells have to recharge for a while and it also seems that a bit of distance isn't a always a bad idea. Of course, I do not feel to have reached "concert level" yet -- but to be honest, this is nothing that I personally NEED to achieve (yeah, I take the relaxed way and do that for my personal fun and the joy of others). Also, "concert level" could mean a wide variety of things and may not mean anything to the listeners who do or even do not enjoy the music at a certain moment. What mattered in my opinion was that (a) I was present there on that wonderful organ, (b) had no fear or performance anxiety, as you called it, even with numerous visitors walking through the huge building, (c) seized the moment despite of people talking, making their phone calls (what the ?!?!?) and children screaming, (d) let a number of friends, relatives and random visitors have a good time with my music and finally (d) was able to conduct the first surround recording of my impros. If I made you curious about the result, I'd happily invite you to watch my "Dom Momente Live" playlist, which you can find on my YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/WoodyofmC . In case you'd like to keep an eye on my progress: During the past years, I recorded a number of pieces and performances for my family and friends (CDs are a great gift for any occasion...) and I'm currently in the process of creating a discography page in case one of them would like to order additional copies as a gift for his or her own friends. At http://en.wpoa.de , you may keep track of how my hobby is evolving -- last but not least, thanks to your highly appreciated mentoring! :-) V: So what do you think about this long and fascinating feedback Ausra? A: Truly fascinating. V: What? A: So, you know I think that the main idea of this letter is that you could have sort of a break from the organ and then go back to it and it might do you good. V: Exactly and Carsten gives us 5 YouTube links here of his improvisations and he is interested in knowing our feedback. But I don’t think were able to do that in detail in this episode but maybe in the next one we can listen to them beforehand and say a few things about those improvisations. We’ll be glad to do that. So my comment about this performance in cathedral is that yes, he was honest about those four things he noticed and even though it was not perfect, performance was not perfect, but he didn’t beat himself up for this. That’s a good, I think, character trait. Positive outlook. A: Yes, it’s excellent and I think he chose very wisely to improvise because he hadn’t played the organ for a while before that. So I think in such a case improvisation is always a better idea than to play repertoire that you haven’t practiced for a month or more. V: Umm-hmm. A: Don’t you think so? V: Right. Here I would like to add a comment about something that was written in the beginning. Carsten wrote that “his current job of being a software developer was very demanding and this had a big impact on his schedule and so his hobby of organ playing suffered a lot since he did not feel like sitting down on the bench every day.” I’d like to add a comment here. Feeling is less important, I’m talking about my own perspective of course, if I have a goal and I don’t have time, or tired, or even sometimes sick, which might happen and I feel the pressure to keep on track of my schedule I would do, no matter what my practice look like, maybe fifteen minutes would be enough, not maybe an hour but fifteen minutes I could do no matter what even if I did not feel like sitting down on the bench. What do you think Ausra about that attitude? Strict attitude. A: Well, I don’t agree actually with you. V: See guys, we are so different and that’s so wonderful because you get both perspectives in one Podcast. A: Well, in July I spent a week in the hospital and then was sick for a few weeks and I haven’t practiced at all because I didn’t have any possibility to do it. V: No, I understand that. A: And I still went to London and gave that recital together with you. V: Did they come to your hospital and say “Ausra you need to practice” while lying in bed? A: I’m just giving you this example that you would understand that there are periods in life when you really cannot practice. V: No, of course when you are sick, like really sick, cannot really move or work. A: Maybe I had to ask you to bring me organ to the hospital. V: Or have temperature, high fever then it’s even dangerous to do that, but still you know what I would do? I would practice in my head while lying in bed. A: With a fever of forty degrees, yes? V: No, forty degrees no, but thirty-nine degrees, yes. (Laughs) A: Well let’s wait until you get sick and then we will see how much you will practice in your head. V: And then we will record another Podcast episode about that. A: Yeah. You know, when you have fever I can see it from my experience now that such a high fever you don’t understand what is real and what is not real. And then yes maybe in your head somewhere you can practice while hallucinating. V: What I was meaning of course Ausra is that Carsten was not having a fever, you know. A: Well but you know his job is his job it’s his priority because it pays his bills so you have to do that thing. V: Listen to this. He had the bad conscience about skipping practice because he remembered our article saying about importance of being consistent and taking at least fifteen minutes a day. So he knows that it’s important, right, but he didn’t feel like sitting down. It’s basically saying that he knows the right way but his will is not strong enough to do it sometimes. A: But look, even you know things happen and you cannot practice for some time no matter what the reason is, don’t feel guilty because that feeling of inner guilt is bad for you. V: Yes. Guys please don’t think that I’m practicing like a saint every day for seven hours straight. No. I also skip practice from time to time and I don’t recommend doing this but sometimes life gets in the way. But don’t beat yourself up if you do this. Be always positive and love yourself. A: For example right now we spent two days on the seacoast and we haven’t practiced for those two days and this morning I practiced again and actually I felt even better because given those two days without practicing helped me to look to my repertoire with new eyes. I got some new ideas. I heard and saw some things that I haven’t noticed before and I think it’s good to give yourself sometimes without practicing. But of course don’t do it too often. V: We won’t try to give you a recipe how many days you can skip, right? It’s dangerous. A: Sure, because I think it’s individual for everybody. V: If the reason is really important then of course go ahead and skip and don’t beat yourself up for that but then maybe try to make it up the next day, right? A: Yes. V: OK guys this was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: We have different opinions, right Ausra? A: That’s right. V: But that’s the beauty of it, right, our conversations. Sometimes people can choose whichever opinions they like and which advice they can take to heart. A: True. V: So please send us more of your questions, we love helping you grow even though we don’t always agree with each other, but we always support each other. A: True. V: That’s another thing. So remember when you practice… A: Miracles happen.
This blog/podcast is supported by Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online. It has hundreds of courses, coaching and practice materials for every area of organ playing, thousands of instructional videos and PDF's. You will NOT find more value anywhere else online...
Total Organist helps you to master any piece, perfect your technique, develop your sight-reading skills, and improvise or compose your own music and much much more... Sign up and begin your training today. And of course, you will get the 1st month free too. You can cancel anytime. Join 80+ other Total Organist students here
Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 262 of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast. This question was sent by T. P. Johnston, Jr. He writes: I'm age 66. Was a professional organist during my high school years. Had been away from the organ for about 40+ years until our church purchased a new Hauptwerk Virtual Pipe Organ, 4 manuals. Very nice instrument. So I've been working to rebuild my skills. They are coming back, but very slowly. Am only able to practice for 1 - 1/2 hours, 3 days per week, so probably won't ever get all my skill level back. But I'm making progress. Your materials are helping a great deal. V: So Ausra, he seems to have spent a lot of time without an instrument, right? A: Yes, that’s true. V: That should be hard for people who practiced in their high school years, in their youth, a lot. Do you remember, we have Mindaugas in our studio, Unda Maris at Vilnius University, who spent with us, maybe, four years? A: That’s right. All his undergrad studies. V: But now, he is transferring to another city, and I think he found a job, and I think no longer will be able to play regularly with us. A: True. V: It’s not clear to me, if he will continue to practice as hard or not, right? A: Well, who knows. V: Who knows. So, it could happen that Mindaugas, just like T. P. Johnston, Jr., will have to spend many years without the organ, and this calling perhaps comes back after a few decades. Because, I think it will come back, don’t you think? A: Definitely, especially when he says he was a professional organist. I think it will be easier for him to get his shape back, compared to somebody who decided to learn to play the organ at an old age. V: So even having the electronic or virtual organ at home is very practical. You can work on your terms, but you can disturb you; if you are working late at night or early in the mornings, you can even use headphones… A: But actually, I understood that the church purchased that instrument, not T. P. Johnston, Jr. himself. V: Right. But at any rate, he has access to it, right? It’s nice. So, I guess the main issue that he is having is that he is slowly rebuilding his skills. I think he wants to progress faster. A: Well, you know with 40 years without playing, that’s a long time! A long period of time! You cannot expect that after practicing for, I don’t know how long he started to practice again, but well, you could not regain your previous skills in let’s say, half a year. V: But it’s good that he’s using our materials, right, because with guidance, with correct practice methods, efficient practice methods, he can progress much faster. A: Definitely. V: What happens when people study on their own without any guidance? Can they intuitively learn from recordings and videos? A: I think we can, but of course, the practice will not be as sufficient as it could be. Our progress will be much slower. V: That person has to learn from their own mistakes, right? A: True. V: And those mistakes sometimes will be so difficult to overcome, and some people will quit because of that. A: That’s right. V: Because they won’t believe they can overcome those difficulties. But luckily, T. P. Johnston, Jr. has advice from us, and can work through our material. That’s very beneficial. He doesn’t say what he wants to achieve, right? What kind of skills does he have to regain? Hymn playing, repertoire playing, pedal playing, or all of the above? What do you think, Ausra? A: Well, probably all of the above. All those things that you mentioned, since he’s a church organist. He needs all those skills. V: And he said that he was a professional organist during his high school years, so it probably meant that he could play the repertoire, too. So, his practice schedule, then, today, might look much different than from 40 years ago. Because, now, he has, perhaps, more time. He is 66. If that’s the case, Ausra, let’s talk a little bit how he could divide his practice time. A: Well, first of all, I would suggest that he would practice every day. Maybe not for an hour and a half, but that way he could rebuild his skills faster. V: If he practices three days a week, as he says, an hour and a half, could he practice like 30 minutes or even 15 minutes the rest of the week, but every day, would that be better than skipping practice altogether? A: I think that would be much better. V: Because on those days when he has only 15 minutes to practice, he can repeat previously mastered material easily. And the next day, progress could be faster. A: Yes, but still, I don’t think it’s enough to practice 15 minutes a day. V: When a person says that he’s only able to practice 3 days per week, he means, probably, that he is able to gt to church 3 days per week, right? A: Could be. V: The church won’t let him use the organ more often, probably. A: Could be. V: Are there any options for him to practice every day, not in the church? A: Well, if you have an instrument at home, then yes, you can do it. If not, then it’s harder. V: Let’s say he doesn’t have an organ at home. I would probably practice on the table on those days. Do you think it would work? A: It might work for somebody like you, not for everybody, maybe. V: Why not? A: Not everybody has a good inner pitch and can hear what he’s playing on the table. V: You’re right. When there is no sound, you have to imagine the sound in your head. But if you know the piece from recordings, maybe this helps to imagine what you’re playing on the table. A: True. V: Is it good to practice with recordings, Ausra? On top of recordings? A: I don’t think so… I think that’s a bad habit. V: Why? Why do other people do it, then, and like to do it? A: I don’t know, you tell me! You started this discussion, so maybe you have some thoughts about it. V: Of course I do. I think people like to get a feeling that they can play an entire piece without stopping, just like in the concert, even though they couldn’t. Right? Remember, you played with a clarinetist. A: Oh, I remember. V: A long time ago. A: I try to forget it. V: So tell us a little bit, what happened. A: Well, we were playing a sonata by Brahms, and that’s a tough part for pianists, not as tough for clarinetists. And, when we got together, we could not play together, because simply, she could not keep the right rhythm. And we tried to figure out what is happening, how she learned the piece, and she told us she simply played together with the recording. So, she simply hadn’t counted, and basically learned somebody’s interpretation. But the problem is that I learned the music as it’s written out, and not by that recording. V: You’re right and you couldn’t fit together. A: Yes, because she could not count. She could not play what it’s written out. V: So, guys, if you do use recordings for playing, and sometimes I record those slow motion videos, right, then people people say they like to practice while looking at my hands, and do one more thing. You have to keep counting yourself, right? Don’t rely on that recording of my playing, let’s say, or anybody else’s playing. And the difference between my recordings in slow motion and the recordings that Ausra was talking about earlier is that probably this girl played in concert tempo all the time... A: Yes! V: ...with concert recordings. And that’s not a good way to practice. If you want to practice with the recording, slow down the video to half speed at least. That helps you to concentrate and count, and it will not sound like a performance, it will be practice. Right? So, we hope this was useful for you and everybody, and please send us more of your questions; we love helping you grow. This was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: And remember, when you practice, A: Miracles happen.
This blog/podcast is supported by Total Organist - the most comprehensive organ training program online. It has hundreds of courses, coaching and practice materials for every area of organ playing, thousands of instructional videos and PDF's. You will NOT find more value anywhere else online...
Total Organist helps you to master any piece, perfect your technique, develop your sight-reading skills, and improvise or compose your own music and much much more... Sign up and begin your training today. And of course, you will get the 1st month free too. You can cancel anytime. Check it out here Here's what one of our students is saying: Very happy. It's helping to keep the organ in front of me every day. I have a tendency to procrastinate, and when I procrastinate enough, I forget. This helps a lot. I like the course I'm taking right now on transposition, and look forward to others in the future. Thank you, Vidas and Ausra! (Laurie) Would you like to receive the same or even better results that Laurie is getting? If so, join 80+ other Total Organist students here. Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start Episode 217 of Ask Vidas and Ausra podcast. This question was sent by Francher. My Dear Vidas… Thank you so much for your response and inquiry! Although it is unlikely that I’ll ever perform, I do practice “very well”…and, for at least 2 hours every day. I start my day with an hour to an hour and a half practice, and end my day with another hour (with several shorter sessions, as time permits, throughout the day). I knew I wanted to be an Organist when I was about 10 years old…I also knew I wanted to be an Architect then too. As a profession, Architecture “won”. So, I spent my “productive” years doing the Architecture thing. Although I “piddled” with the organ for many years, I didn’t start serious music study until I retired at age 72. I found a wonderful teacher, who convinced me that I would learn more quickly if I knew some theory. So, I went back to college (at 74) and studied Music Theory for a year. Then, after studying with her for four years, she abruptly gave up all her students and quit teaching. That’s when I discovered “Total Organist” and, I’ve been studying with you ever since. I am so grateful for your teaching efforts. Based upon your reorganized material, I would place myself in the “Early-Intermediate” stage of development. At 80, I learn much more slowly than in my youth… Now, I say, I’m 8 years into, what will be for me, a 20 year program. So, as long as I am able, we’ll be working together far into the future. Thanks, again, for all that you and Ausra do for Organists and the Organ. Francher V: So it’s really wonderful to read this type of feedback, right Ausra? A: Yes, it’s amazing. V: It’s never too late to play the organ and to improve, even at eighty or even later in life, right? A: And it’s so nice that you know some people are able to do that. V: Yeah. Because when we are younger we so many other things that we have to do and there is not enough time, right? So then when we retire sometimes we get to do what we really want. A: Yes, that’s absolutely amazing. V: And Francher also rightly mentioned that her previous teacher encouraged her to study music theory. Why music theory is so important, Ausra? A: I think it’s important. It’s you know in order to be a good musician you need to have performance skills, technical abilities you know to play music well, but it’s also important to understand it, you know too. And that’s where theory comes in. And you know we keep fighting with you know with my students and other colleagues at school all the time. It’s like endless war you know between theory teachers and performance teachers because performers often say “Oh we can teach them to play without any theory.” V: Which is partly true. A: Well yes, but theory teachers just laugh about their attitude because I think it leave you, it takes you to a dead end. V: And in today's environment where everybody can do what you do you have to be unique. And if you have two people doing what they can at the same level like all things being equal, right? And one person knows music theory well and another doesn’t its I think a no-brainer to understand who will be picked in promotion and other things because theory background gives you as we say understanding how the music put together which in turn lets you to interpret music better. A: Yes. V: And people who don’t know this they will never be able to teach. A: That’s right. V: Right? Because they have only been taught themselves how to do it without understanding why. The reason behind the solutions. And then if you never teach, right, if you never share your experiences to other people you will never grow to the best of your ability. You will grow somewhat but not as much as you could. And you don’t have to teach at a formal institution, right? Like we both teach you right now, right Ausra? It’s teaching. Blogging is teaching. Podcasting is teaching. Everything that you share freely with the world is in a way teaching. A: Yes, so I think you know it was smart whoever you know suggested for Francher to go to learn some music theory. It doesn’t mean that you would need to write a dissertation and all about any theoretical subject. But you know still it broadens your horizons. V: You know with our rigid system I think we have trouble communicating this correctly with young generation and sometimes really we miss the mark like two passing ships in the middle of the ocean. We don’t communicate well. They want to play and we want them to understand the music and they don’t want to understand why they need this. The best way for Francher and others who are listening to this to think about music theory would be to learn it and right away apply it in your organ practice. Analyze the pieces you are playing. Be aware of how it’s put together. Not so much theoretical concepts for the concepts sake which is fine but you will forget it if you are not apply it, right Ausra? A: Yes and no. My colleagues at school they simply stop arguing with me when they find out that I am also performer, not only theory teacher. V: Yes, and in our school the best theory teachers are always performers. A: That’s true. V: Not necessarily performing right now but they were performing majors because they know real music not just dry rules. So Francher discovered Total Organist over the years and yes, she is a long term student of ours. And of course just recently we decided to reorganize the materials so that they could look at the levels of difficulty. For example, music for beginners, music for basic level, then intermediate, and then advanced level organist. And this way people really simply pick what they like from that level, right? So Francher is putting herself in early intermediate stage. What does that mean in your opinion? Is it that she can play more things than the basic level students can or something else? A: Of course, I think she should be able to play more advanced pieces. V: More advanced pieces than the Orgelbuchlein probably. A: Yes, yes. V: Because Orgelbuchlein would be like the best example for basic level stuff, right? Orgelbuchlein and probably Eight Little Preludes and Fugues. A: That’s right if we are thinking about Bach. V: And if we're thinking about let’s say romantic music. What would that be for basic level? Like Boellmann maybe, Vierne. A: Yes, Boellmann and probably like L’organiste by Cesar Franck. V: Uh-huh. Slower basically movements of the large-scale works, not to fast, not to virtuosic, not too chromatic also. A: Yes. V: So wonderful and then early intermediate level allows you to gradually progress to longer preludes and fugues, right? Maybe not two pages long or three pages long but maybe four or five or even six, right? A: That’s right. V: What about chorale based works, Ausra? A: Well I think you could select some of Leipzig chorales. Slower, like Nun Komm probably. V: Um-hmm. Like the one we recommended to study for John from Australia, BWV 569 or 659. Yes, 659. A: Yes. V: It’s longer and ornate in melody but not too difficult. A: That’s right. V: Because Schmucke Dich from the same collection is much harder. OK, so what would you wish for Francher in the upcoming months? A: Just you know to wish her to continue what she is doing. I think it’s great that she is still you know able to play. V: And practicing at that age really I think slows down aging process, don’t you think? A: I think so yes. V: Would you Ausra, hope to practice at this age for example when you reach eighty years old? A: It would be wonderful but I don’t know how I will succeed. V: But if we live that long I think ideally would be to continue to push, to continue to practice, at least a little bit every day. Because when you practice every day you stay curious every day, and if you stay curious every day your mind is engaged every day, and if your mind is engaged every day you are using your mind and it’s like a muscle, your brain right? It gradually also becomes stronger even at that age when your body for example gets weaker. A: True. V: Um-hmm. And it definitely prevents Alzheimer's for example. A: Maybe we need to do you know a research about to find out how many organists at elderly age have Alzheimer's. V: We could do a survey. Starting from like 65+, right? And from our subscribers they could vote, right, whether they have Alzheimer's or not. And we could see the percentage and I think that percentage might be quite small. A: I hope so. Because playing organ trains your brain. V: Exactly. And body and mind coordination too I think is connected here. So thank you so much Francher and others who are sending these wonderful questions. I think this discussion allows us to really help you grow. So please keep sending them and keep practicing. Because remember when you practice… A: Miracles happen. Vidas: Hi guys, this is Vidas.
Ausra: And Ausra. V: Let’s start episode 141 of #AskVidasAndAusra Podcast. This question was sent by Peter. He writes: “I think the amount of time we waste on things which are of no benefit is frightening. I wonder why? What makes the difference between the things you want to do (like eating tasty food, lying in bed, drinking to excess, wasting time on the computer etc.) and the things which you ought to do (practicing the organ, eating healthy food, getting to bed early, getting up early!) etc? An interesting psychological question. I suspect that a great deal of the answer is forming the correct habits, from an early age. The more you put into life, the more you get out of it.” So Ausra, we all know this situation, right? A: Yes, that’s so human-like. V: We love to procrastinate, to do things that are not necessarily worthy but are pleasant. What’s the reason for this, do you know? A: Well, I think it’s just human nature in itself that we seek pleasure in immediate gratification. It’s probably takes more satisfaction to eat tasty food which is not healthy like french fries or hamburgers and sweets instead of eating vegetables 5 times a day. But I think it’s important to force yourself to do other things, like practicing organ or going to bed early or eating healthier, I think looking to that final result of things. V: Which is what? A: Or further results, like playing recital or everybody praising you or lowering your blood pressure and exercising. V: But you see, Ausra, the final result for all of us is what? Death. A: Well, yes, if you would love from that perspective but since most of organists are Christian or at least I think so, you don’t think that with your death things will be over. V: So that’s why you need to eat vegetables 5 times are day and that’s why you need to floss your teeth. A: No, you do it just to make your life longer. V: I see what you mean now. A: I know, you’re making fun out of me. V: Not only out of you. I do this too so I’m making fun out of myself too. You see, I agree with you, it’s so difficult. We as humans tend to seek pleasure and tend to avoid pain. Two things in life. And not only humans - every animal. Every single our ancestor does this instinctively, right? A: Yes, I think so. V: But the difference with humans is we have so-called free will which not everyone believes we have. A: Yes, some people believe in predestination. V: Yeah. A: And that the choices are made for us from probably above. V: If you look from the scientific point of view, you could also argue that the world is governed by the laws of nature and that we basically behave according to the laws of nature but then there’s this question about unpredictability. Sometimes atoms in our cells and smaller particles than atoms move in unpredictable ways, like in quantum physics. So that’s I think the key to understanding that we sometimes can change our destiny and can behave in a different way than it’s destined, if you even believe in destiny. So with that in mind, I think there is hope, right? We can dream a little, make hopes for the futures, big goals and make plans and take steps to achieve those goals, right? A: That’s true, yes. And I think we have to find some sort of satisfaction in what we are making in practicing the organ. That the process itself would give us some pleasure. V: Exactly. Some people even say that the result is not that important as the process, as the journey. The journey is the goal, basically. To achieve something in life is not that important as to live a good life, basically. A: I think maybe our society is very much result-oriented. Don’t you think so? Like everything - educational system starting from an early age, having all those exams and grades. V: That’s what they call meritocracy. The better you do at school, right? Children hope to get better grades and with good grades they can get into a famous college, right? A: Yes. V: With famous college of course is a myth nowadays. It doesn’t matter anymore. But still many people believe this. And with famous college you could get a good job, right? Which is also not the case anymore. A: Yes, and you can make big money and you can become happy. V: For life. A: But it’s not necessarily true or not 100% true. V: So what makes people happy, Ausra? What makes you happy? A: I think small things makes me the most happier. V: Like what? Eating chocolate? A: Well, not so much chocolate but reading a good book, going for a walk. V: 10000 steps… A: Well, you are making goals already. V: My phone messed up and doesn’t count the steps I’m taking so I’m very frustrated now. And basically I lost motivation to walk. Because I don’t know how many steps I take. I may have to lie in bed today. I feel like I’m being robbed. A: But still you have to walk even if your phone doesn’t count your steps. V: OK. A: So for me happiness in small things. V: Of course doing things that you love is very important and that’s where organ playing comes into play, right? For some people it’s a profession, like for us. It’s what we do. But it’s even better if it’s your hobby, if it’s something you love to do in your spare time, then you can wait for this moment, wait for this privilege in your day to sit down on the bench and practice, right, Ausra? A: Yes, that’s right. And in general music gives me the biggest joy. Not necessarily playing but also listening to good music, to a nice performance. V: And then sometimes this short-term pleasure fades away, right? Because you have basically long-term hope that if you sit down on the bench and perfect yourself just one percent today and the next day and the day after that, after 72 days this percentage will double and it will compound and after one year it will be like 3800 percent of improvement in whatever skill you are trying to improve. So in the case of organ playing it’s I think a big deal after one year, right? A: Yes. V: So Peter if he’s struggling with let’s say motivation sometimes to get on the organ bench, do you think that he could think about that basic 1 percent improvement a day and not break a chain. If he, for example, had a calendar on the wall and notated X for every day that he practiced organ. X for a week, X for a month, X for 6 months. And then the entire point is simply to not break a chain of X’s, right? A: Yes. V: And it gives us pleasure in things routinely. A: That’s true. V: Would that work? A: Yes, that might work. V: Would that work for you if you would be struggling? A: Yes. You know, I remember when I was back in school I would check mark each day after it ended and I would count how many days were left until vacation. V: Aah. A: It was a good motivation to keep going. V: So it was for the upcoming pleasure. A: Yes. V: Of course there is fear of upcoming pain. Maybe deadline is also a good motivation, like recital. A: Yes. V: If you schedule a public performance or just a simple church service or even playing a short prelude and postlude in your friend’s church a month or two months from now, then of course you will have to announce for your friends and family that you will be there in two months and they will come to listen to your prelude and postlude. Then you will have all the motivation in the world, right? A: Yes. V: OK, what would be your final advice for Peter and people like him? A: Well, I think that everybody has to find their own way, really. Because we can suggest things that don’t work for them but try to look for new ways how to make yourself doing right things and to motivate yourself. V: What if people skip practice for one day, two days, three days? Should they scold themselves? A: I don’t think scolding yourself is a good thing. It’s not good for you. V: It’s very Christian though. A: Yes, it’s very Catholic. I think sometimes all the Catholic churches are built on that guilt. I think most of Catholics grew up knowing that feeling of guilt. And I don’t think it’s good psychologically, it might crush you down. So don’t feel guilt about not practicing. Just try in the future to avoid those long days without practice. V: Like in the morning… This is a new day, right? A: Yes. V: You wake up in the morning and you say, “Today will be a different day.” A: Sure. V: Thanks guys. This was Vidas. A: And Ausra. V: Send us more of your questions. We love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice… A: Miracles happen. Vidas: Let’s start Episode 121 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. Listen to the audio version here. And this question was sent by Robert. He writes that “I’m not taking enough time every day to practice.” So Ausra, do you think that he doesn’t have time enough, or he cannot force himself to practice?
Ausra: Well, from his statement, it sounds like he might be probably too lazy to practice, like we all are sometimes. At least, I had such an impression, after reading his statement: “I am not taking enough time every day to practice.” Vidas: “Lazy” might be a cause for this, but I think this inner drive should come first, right? If you’re so motivated, and passionate about that, and if you want it so badly, then you don’t have to really force yourself. It comes naturally, right? Ausra: Well, then you will understand that practice is a privilege; and yes, you will practice every day. Vidas: I’ve heard an explanation about this issue: that you have to feel like a gun is pointing at your head, and then you will feel motivated to do whatever it takes! Ausra: Well, what I personally think is, I think your practice needs to become your habit. It’s like having lunch or dinner. You eat every day--I believe so, yes? So that’s what you have to do with practice: it just has to become a part of your routine, of your schedule, of all the necessary things that you do. Vidas: But Ausra, what if you stopped eating or drinking? For a week? For a month? Ausra: Well, you will die. Vidas: You will die, yes? So that’s why we keep eating and drinking. What would happen if Robert (or anyone else in his shoes) would stop playing? Ausra: Nothing. Vidas: Nothing. That’s why he is not taking enough time every day to practice. Ausra: But, because he already sent us this question, that shows that he actually worries about it. And actually, without practicing, he doesn’t feel well enough. Vidas: Mhm, mhm. Ausra: That he has that--I don’t know what to call it, inner guilt? Vidas: Yeah, it’s like this dog that we have to feed, and he’s saying, “Feed me, feed me, feed me!” and we forget every day, right, and he dies after three weeks. Ausra: Yeah. Vidas: I have this dream once in awhile. Or, you had this dream right? Ausra: Yes. Vidas: About a hamster? Ausra: Yes, yes. Vidas: I had another dream that I would skip classes--I would teach music classes in some school, and I would forget those classes for six months. So that would be...uhh, not a nice feeling in the morning. It’s kind of like that with Robert, too. He feels this guilt, I think, too; because he wants to succeed, but it takes willpower to do this. Ausra, is there any shortcut, silver bullet, or magical pill? Ausra: I don’t think so. It would be too easy--too simple! Vidas: Anybody could succeed, right? Ausra: Yes. Vidas: And anybody would succeed, actually. Ausra: Yes. Vidas: So, the best I can advise Robert is of course, imagine what bad would happen if he stopped practicing for himself--what life would look like if he didn’t practice for six months, for him. He has to visualize it, right? Or the other way around--imagine how his life would be if he practiced every day for six months, and what he could achieve in that time, right? Ausra: Yes. And of course, from his question, I could also understand that maybe he practices every day, but not enough. Vidas: Hmm. Could be. Ausra: So, that could be another issue: that you know, in that case, if he practices every day, but not enough, then he will never play well enough. Vidas: What is enough? Ausra: Well, it depends on how good you are already, and what your goals are. It’s different for each person. Vidas: Is 15 minutes enough? Ausra: I don’t think so. Vidas: Minimum of 15 minutes a day. If you are, you know, so busy, so tired, so exhausted, that you kind of feel like skipping today, we say: do just 15 minutes, and you will thank yourself the next day that you didn’t break the chain. Right? But if you’re serious about it, it should be more. Ausra: Yes, of course! Vidas: At least what? Ausra: Well, at least an hour. Vidas: At least an hour, probably. Ausra: At the very minimum. Vidas: Mhm. If you want to learn a few more advanced pieces and go further along into the perfection of organ art. It’s not easy to force yourself, right? Because life is so full of complications, and we have so many distractions every day, right? TV, computers, phones everywhere, and everything is shiny and wonderful… And they call to us: “Pick me, pick me, pick me! Do this, do this, do this! Forget organ practice! Just once!” So Ausra, what motivates you to practice? Ausra: Upcoming recitals. Due dates. Vidas: External motivation. Ausra: Yes, yes. Vidas: Hmm. I probably would practice less than now if I didn’t have my concert schedule lined up. So yes, guys, if you suffer from this trouble of not making enough effort and practicing every day, then schedule some public performances. Ausra: Yes. Vidas: That will be helpful, right? Ausra: That will force you to practice enough! Vidas: Does it have to be a full recital, Ausra? Ausra: Not necessarily. Vidas: What do you mean? Ausra: Well, you could do just one piece, I don’t know; it depends on your situation in life. Vidas: Could you find an organ friend in a church--like, an organist--and get to know him or her, and ask for permission to perform a postlude or prelude or communion piece… Ausra: Of course you can do that. Yes, you can do that. Vidas: In a month, let’s say, right? Ausra: Yes. Vidas: And then, there you go. You have a deadline. Ausra: That’s right. Vidas: Or two pieces, if you are more confident. Or, for people who want to advance even further, they could do half an hour of some sort of celebratory recital after some festivity in the church, like Easter. Ausra: Yes, because I believe that there is no better motivation to practice than fear of public performances coming up. Vidas: Everybody’s afraid, right? You think that you will mess up your playing, and everybody will make fun of you, and your career will be over, and your life will be over, and you will go to prison, and you’ll die eventually. Ausra: I don’t think you will go prison if you didn’t play a recital well. I hope not! Vidas: To organ prison! Ausra: Yes. Vidas: Where all the bad organists are staying! Or you will go to purgatory! Would you like to go to purgatory? Ausra: No. No. Vidas: Where all the bad organists are staying? Who play only white keys on weekdays and black keys on Sundays and festivities? Ausra: Yes, that’s funny. Vidas: So guys, look seriously and decide what you want to achieve within the next six months, right? It could be very small: learn and master 2, 3, 4 pieces, maybe. Just like that. And then, schedule some external accountability, like public performance. And then you will thank yourself later, because you will have to force yourself. Right, Ausra? Ausra: That’s right, yes. Vidas: Thank you, guys, for listening. Thank you for sending us your questions; we love helping you grow. And remember, when you practice… Ausra: Miracles happen.
Vidas: Let’s start Episode 107 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. This question was sent by Brice, and here is how it sounds:
“When I learn a piece of music depending on its difficulty I can learn it in several hours, or several days, several weeks or 1 to 2 months. Don't mind taking a lot of time to learn to music, but I'd like it so that I can get myself up to the level where I read simple pieces of music down to less than an hour if not 30 to 20 minutes to learn. Or be able to just sight read such a easy piece.” Basically, this question is about the level of fluency in sight-reading, yes Ausra? Ausra: Yes, or learning music faster. Vidas: So we probably have to advise people to just keep practicing sight-reading, right? Ausra: Yes, I think that would be the easiest way to reach the level you want to be at. Vidas: Of course, Brice is concerned about the time it takes to do this, right? The amount of practice. Ausra: Yes. Vidas: Apparently, the level of skill is getting better--but too slowly for Brice. Ausra: Well, it would be excellent in such a case to find a church position, if he doesn’t have one. That way, you would just be forced to do it. Vidas: Every week. Ausra: Yes, every week… Vidas: Maybe several times a week. Ausra: Maybe several services a week, and new repertoire all the time--prelude, postlude, offering, hymns...And this would make things easier after a while. Of course, you would suffer at first; you would have to play a lot, but eventually it would get easier. Vidas: I struggled with sight-reading for a very long time. I remember my first piece was, I think, “Jesu meine Freude” from Orgelbüchlein. In the 10th grade, my teacher gave it to me, to choose from any chorale; and I chose this piece. And I couldn’t sight-read even the hands part fluently enough at a slow tempo. I was struggling at the level that I even didn’t understand how the piece is put together. What about you? Ausra: Well yes, I basically was a good sight-reader from a very early age; but the thing is that after playing music the second time, it wouldn’t get much better than sight-reading it! So I had my struggles, too. But I remember when I worked at a Christian Scientist church while I was studying in Michigan--well, it was a nice job, actually, to have. But I remember each week, the reader who would lead service that Sunday would call me and leave the hymn numbers on my answering machine, in order for me to be able to learn them for Sunday. And first of all, yes I would do that: I would play them, prepare them in advance, be worried that everything would go well; but after maybe playing for like half a year in that church, I would never play those hymns in advance--I would never prepare them in advance. I would just show up on Sunday and play for the service. Because I didn’t need to do it. Vidas: You were good enough? Ausra: Yes, yes. Vidas: Mhm. For me, I think, the struggle continued even until late years in America, I think. But yes, this position that we both shared--Grace Lutheran Church, but even earlier in Michigan, I worked in Ypsilanti Missouri Synod Lutheran Church there; and I also had to provide a lot of hymns, preludes, postludes, communion music, offertories, regularly, sometimes several times a week, even for funerals. So gradually, I found out that really, I’m getting better at this. I hated to spend too much time with learning the music, so I really sightread everything. So after maybe 2 months of doing this intensely, I suddenly realized a breakthrough. Ausra: Yes. And of course, your theoretical background--of understanding the theory of music--is also very important in order to be able to learn music fast or sight-read well. Because knowing all those clefs and key signatures--that’s what makes you to sight-read music easily. Vidas: Basically, your brain has to connect the dots for you-- Ausra: Sure, sure. Vidas: To know the meaning behind the notes. Ausra: That’s right. Because usually, you know, if you read a piece of music in C Major, it’s easier than to read, for example, music in D♭ Major. Vidas: Mhm. Ausra: The more key accidentals you get, the harder it is. And of course, it’s easy to sight-read, let’s say, a hymn, because it might have like, a few secondary dominants; but that’s almost the hardest theoretical thing you can get in a hymn. But if you are learning a piece of music from such a composer as Max Reger, for example, which has such chromatic harmony… Vidas: Or Louis Vierne. Ausra: Yes. So, it adds much more difficulty. Vidas: I think people should not rush into very advanced pieces too early. Ausra: Yes; and you know, I think if you want to sight-read music fast and well, and be able to learn music fast enough, you need to pick up easy repertoire for beginners. Vidas: Mhm. Ausra: There are some very good examples of music that sounds good, but it’s not as hard to learn, for beginners. Like, for example, Frescobaldi’s “Fiori Musicali”. That’s a wonderful collection for church musicians. Or you know, if you want Romantic music, pick up Cesar Franck’s “L’Organiste”. That’s an excellent collection. Vidas: Or Alexandre Guilmant wrote Practical Organist and Liturgical Organist. Those collections also have short pieces based sometimes on chants, sometimes not on chants; but they’re suited for church playing. And they’re beautiful pieces, but not too difficult. Ausra: Yes. Vidas: And sometimes they are with pedal, sometimes without; you can have optional pedal lines, like for harmonium, without any pedals; but you can add pedals, playing the bass with your feet. Ausra: Yes. So if you don’t have much time to prepare your music, pick up easy music for beginners; and then together with that, at the same time, you can learn (slower) harder pieces. Vidas: Another thing to consider is to start improvising. Right? It does help, too. Ausra: Well, yes, it does help, too, but it will not make you a better sight-reader. Vidas: Why not? Ausra: Because when you improvise, you don’t have a music score in front of you. And I think if you just improvise, eventually you might not be able to play from the sheet music at all. That’s my opinion. Vidas: Here I agree with you, but I also have another perspective on this. If you improvise freely from your imagination, then yes, the skill of reading music is something different. But if you are thinking in terms of harmony and counterpoint, like the piece is really written out in your mind, then it helps, eventually. Ausra: Well, I see your point; but improvisation like this, as you described it, will take you even more time than learning music from the score. Vidas: So guys, choose whatever works for you. We’re only sharing our perspectives and experiences, right? Ausra: Yes. Vidas: Wonderful. And of course, apply our tips in your practice, if you like them. That makes all the difference. And please send us more of your questions; we love helping you grow. This was Vidas. Ausra: And Ausra. Vidas: And remember, when you practice… Ausra: Miracles happen. |
 DON'T MISS A THING! FREE UPDATES BY EMAIL.
 Photo by Edgaras Kurauskas
Authors
Drs. Vidas Pinkevicius and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene Organists of Vilnius University , creators of Secrets of Organ Playing. 
Our Hauptwerk Setup:
Don't have an organ at home? No problem - print out our paper organ manuals and pedals and start practicing today!
Categories
All
Archives
November 2025
|
RSS Feed